THE LOOP (WBBM Newsradio) -- Chicago election judges have started a process that will ultimately decide who's on the ballot you will see in March's primary.
Judges working for the Chicago Board of Elections began hearing objections on Wednesday to petition nominating signatures filed by people running for political office in the city.
"This is the process where candidates, if they've had an objection filed, fight to stay on the ballot," said election board spokesman Max Bever ahead of the first day of hearings at the board offices, 69 W. Washington St.
He said says objections can be filed over everything from whether someone signed their true legal name to whether they actually live at the address they put down: "This is why candidates often get more signatures than they need -- because they know some of them will not be deemed valid."
Bever says there are fewer challenges than in past mid-year elections, despite a large field of candidates in several Congressional primaries.
Among the candidates answering challenges to their petition signatures: Felix Tello and Jazmin J. Robinson, who sat next to each other at this morning's preliminary session and who ironically are both in the 7th District Democratic primary for the chance to replace retiring Congressman Danny Davis.
When asked their first reaction to having their signatures challenged, Tello said "Good."
Robinson added. "It's kind of a compliment, if you think about it," because she says that means opponents see them as a threat.
Similar hearings are going on in other counties and at the statewide level.